“You opened your heart to hope, Meredith Grace. And that is no small thing.”

From the Publisher:

“A Steel City holiday romance sure to melt your heart.

The holidays haven’t been the easiest for Merry Grainger. Five years ago, she lost her grandfather and got dumped by her boyfriend right before Christmas. Each season since sees her determined to avoid getting hurt again, and so she keeps a steel-like grip on her hopeless romantic heart.

Music used to soothe Sam Shepard’s soul until the death of his biggest cheerleader broke his heart, family, and dreams into pieces. Now he’s focused on thriving in the city, and with the people, he’s grown to love—all to keep the hole in his heart from opening anew with every passing holiday season.

Thrown together by a church play and meddlesome family armed with mistletoe, will Merry and Sam unwrap their guarded hearts to let in the true hope of Christmas—and each other?”

My Review:

After finishing a book, are you ever stuck in between the fictional and physical world? It’s the feeling where you’re present in your everyday life, but your mind constantly wanders to the fictional world and you’re wistful to go back.

I’ve been like that since I’ve finished Wrapped in Red. I feel sad that I’m no longer experiencing Merry and Sam’s lives and I’m constantly reminded of them when people around me say or do things that relate to their story.

It’s just that type of story. 🙂

I’m not usually one to read holiday stories because, once the holidays roll around, I’m busy trying to catch up with the other books on my shelf that have been collecting dust. However, I made an exception with this story since the hype for it was so big with my blogger friends and I do not regret reading this.

Wrapped in Red is a beautiful story that captures the excitement and beauty of the holiday season (from Thanksgiving to New Years) but also the pain that can often come along with it. When you’re spending time with family and keeping up with traditions, it’s easy to be reminded of loved ones and past memories that you yearn to have back–this story encapsulates that perfectly.

Another thing I loved about this story is that it was so incredibly relatable to my own life. For one, it sums up exactly how it feels to be an introvert in this small paragraph:

“She was tired. Her introvert needed quiet to gear up for the holiday weekend at the library. But it was only nine-thirty Thanksgiving night, and here she was ready to either cry herself to sleep or binge on Netflix and pie at the same time–she was multi-talented that way.”

That is a typical night for me as a college student in a nutshell.

I was also able to sympathize with Merry as she dealt with the hardships of the single life and how irritable it can be sometimes. There’s the family get-togethers where you’re constantly asked if you’ve met anyone yet. The difficulties of dating sites/apps. The cringe-worthy dates where the guy leaves early because he “has laundry to do.” The sorrow of not having someone who feels exactly the same way as you do about them. The constant wondering if there’s even someone who is meant for you.

While reading this, I thought to myself, “I’m pretty sure Meghan was able to read my mind and add all my thoughts and feelings into this story” Because, seriously, I’ve never read a story that I could relate to so well and that hit me that hard.

This was one spectacular book!

Now, I’m anxiously waiting to read more from Meghan because her writing is funny, heartfelt, and down to earth.

In the book, there’s a piece talking about Sam that goes, “And so he waited. He’d wait forever.”

Just like Sam, I will wait for Meghan’s next release. I will wait forever.

😉

Please go check it out! It’s truly a wonderful story and it is only $0.99 for the ebook!

Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ — 4.5 stars

This was a quick, enjoyable read! Definitely worth reading if you’re in a holiday mood! 🙂

That’s awesome!!!!! I’m glad you enjoyed the review. 🙂 It truly means a lot. I hope you enjoy the book as much I did, Kathleen! Check out my interview with Meghan for an in-depth look at the novella: http://wp.me/p5AO2h-WJ
Have a happy New Year! 🎈 ❤